Target: Secretary of the Treasury Jacob “Jack” Lew
Goal: Applaud decision to place Harriet Tubman on $20 bill.
The $20 bill will no longer bear the face of a racist and murderous former president. The U.S. Treasury Department announced that Andrew Jackson will be replaced on the $20 bill by Harriet Tubman, a brave African-American who helped thousands of slaves find freedom in the 19th century. The move comes after extended periods of public pressure, as evidenced by this petition found here on ForceChange in which activists called for more equal gender representation on America’s currency.
While Andrew Jackson was a patriotic man who served his country, his heinous crimes cannot be overlooked. Jackson was responsible for the ethnic cleansing of several Native American tribes, known as the “Trail of Tears,” and to permit his portrait to remain on currency would be to endorse and accept his violent and ignorant actions.
Tubman, on the other hand, is an American icon of strength and bravery. In a time when people of her race were owned as property, Tubman helped thousands of slaves escape to the North. After the Civil War ended slavery, Tubman lent her efforts to the women’s suffrage movement. A woman of such courage is exactly the type of person America should honor. Sign the petition below to applaud the Treasury’s decision on this matter.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Lew,
I am writing to congratulate your department’s decision to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Tubman was a brave woman who risked her life so that others could escape slavery, and her courage and strength deserves to be recognized.
The man she will replace, Andrew Jackson, was a violent and racist man who was responsible for the ethnic cleansing of several Native American tribes. While he was a patriotic man who served his country well, Jackson’s genocidal crimes are simply too heinous to be overlooked. Thank you for replacing his portrait with a much more deserving figure.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: United States Government
Yay! She is a Republican!